Meskwaki Natural Resources

07/24/2026

New Job Title: Professional Bug Catchers!! 🐛🪲

If you’ve stopped by the Powwow Grounds or near the river, you may have seen some unusual-looking equipment in the water. Don’t worry, it’s not trash!

Our environmental team has recently installed artificial substrate collectors as part of our habitat assessment and water quality monitoring program. These collectors provide a place for tiny aquatic insects (macroinvertebrates) to colonize and make themselves at home for the next couple of weeks.

Why do we do this? Natural stream bottoms vary at each site, making it difficult to compare sites. Artificial substrates create a uniform habitat among each monitoring location, allowing for more consistent data that will help us better understand the health of our waterways. These tiny macroinvertebrates are sensitive to pollution and environmental changes, making them truly some of the best indicators of stream health.

As you can see, our team had quite the adventure installing these! Sometimes you’ve got to hike through the woods with cinder blocks in your backpack in the name of science. We promise there’s a method to the madness!

You may have noticed the plastic jug attached to it. The jug is part of the equipment, as they are there to mark and stabilize the equipment. This is not trash! We know it may look a little unusual, but if you come across one, please leave it exactly where it is. Moving, removing, or damaging these collectors can disrupt several weeks of our scientific monitoring and affect data we are collecting to help our waterways!

We will be checking on these bug collectors weekly, but if you see them displaced or have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

Field phone: (641)-481-1491

Office phone: (641)-484-3511

-MNR Intern, Isabela Vallejo

07/14/2026

MNR would like to introduce you to Isabela Vallejo. Isabela is working as an intern for this department this summer with her main focus being habitat assessment.

Currently, she is a student at Iowa State majoring in Forestry. Believe it or not, Isabela doesn't get enough of the great outdoors between work and school, she likes to spend her free time hiking and taking pictures. She also enjoys thrifting and listening to music.

Throughout her time here, Isabela is helping MNR staff boost their capacity for habitat assessment. This includes research and training of wetland plant identification, macroinvertebrate collection and ID, and electrofishing. You also may have seen her at the Farmer's Markets lately, with MNR's Hazard Mitigation Survey (she'll be there again next Thursday if you have not had a chance to give your say!)

07/14/2026

Meskwaki Natural Resources would like to acknowledge the department’s SYIP employee for 2026: Tenoch Estrada Snow.

Currently a student at Marshalltown Community College, Tenoch is majoring in Natural Science and Agriculture. Since he began working at MNR he has mainly been working on invasive species management with the Land & Wildlife crew. This kind of work involves the use of chainsaws and heavy equipment such as a skid-loader equipped with a mulching attachment or a grapple to lift and move downed trees. Tenoch has also spent time with the department forester doing forest inventory work along with CRP w**d assessments and has been out with the Air & Water team collecting water samples from different waterways on the Settlement and participating in plant identification in the wetlands. Pictured below, you can see Tenoch collecting velocity data on Onion Creek.

All MNR teams have praised Tenoch’s excellent work ethic, his willingness to tackle any task, and not being afraid to ask questions. MNR thanks Tenoch for joining us this year and are proud of the work he has accomplished so far this summer

07/08/2026

07/08/2026

07/08/2026

07/08/2026

07/08/2026

~TEACHABLE TUESDAY~
It's been a couple of months of fun and games, a friendly tussle or locking of horns between mature bulls. That's about to change drastically.
July is typically the beginning of prime breeding season, also called the rut. These play-fights are going to escalate quickly, as bulls seek females to breed and assert their dominance over other bulls.
These powerful, mature bulls can easily weigh 2,000 pounds or more, and it's an impressive sight when they lock horns in a battle. Those battles may end in mortal wounds, minor wounds, or just wounded pride. But make no mistake: they are serious about the business of breeding, with a goal of breeding as many females as possible.